WEBVTT FACT." THE MIDTERMS ARE TUESDAY AND THERE’S ONE GROUP BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS ARE KEEPING AN EYE ON. YOUNG PEOPLE. IF THEY TURN OUT IN RECORD NUMBERS, THEY ARE LIKELY TO VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS. BUT IF THEY SKIP THE POLLS, REPUBLICANS COULD KEEP CONTROL OF WASHINGTON. A RECENT GALLUP POLL FOUND ONLY 26% OF ADULTS BETWEEN AGES 18 AND 29 SAY THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN TO VOTE. IN THE 2014 MIDTERMS ONLY ONE IN FIVE PEOPLE IN THAT SAME AGE GROUP VOTED. BUT HEADCOUNT, A NONPROFIT THAT TEAMS UP WITH MUSICIANS TO HELP REGISTER YOUNG PEOPLE, SAYS IT WILL BE DIFFERENT THIS TIME AROUND. ANDY BERNSTEIN AND IVY BRIAN ARE WITH HEADCOUNT. NICE TO HAVE YOU BOTH. SO WHAT HAPPENED? 1964, 50% OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS IN THIS DEMOGRAPHIC WERE VOTING. THAT IS NOT 150 YEARS AGO. THAT IS RELATIVELY RECENT HISTORY. TODAY THAT NUMBER IS 20%. WHAT HAPPENED? ANDY: WELL YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS AND FOR PRESIDENTIAL IT IS CLOSER TO 50%. AND I THINK WHAT WE’RE LOOKING AT NOW WITH THIS YEAR IS HOW CAN WE GET BACK TO THAT? HOW CAN WE GET PEOPLE ENGAGED AROUND THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS, WHICH ARE WHEN POWER CHANGES? WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT MIDTERM ELECTIONS ARE. SO A LOT OF OUR WORK HEADCOUNT AND OTHER GROUPS IS TO REALLY JUST KIND OF TRY TO MAKE MIDTERM ELECTIONS MORE OF A CULTURAL EVENT. IT IS SEEN AS A POLITICAL PROCESS. HOW DO WE MAKE IT A CULTURAL EVENT? SOLEDAD: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? ANDY: HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE TALKING? HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE SEEING IT IS PERSONALLY RELEVANT TO THEM? NOT PART OF THAT WORD POLITICS THAT PEOPLE VIEW KIND OF NEGATIVELY. HOW DO WE MAKE IT A CONVERSATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA AT THE DINNER TABLE. SOLEDAD: THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE RELATED TO ME HAVE A FINELY HONED SENSE OF JUSTICE AND I WOULD SAY THE YOUNG PEOPLE I WORK WITH HAVE A FINELY HONED SENSE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE. HOW COME THAT DOESN’T TRANSLATE EASILY AND QUICKLY INTO SHOWING UP AT THE BALLOT BOX? IVY: I THINK THAT YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY, A LOT OF US SEE SOCIAL JUSTICE, SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, AS SOMETHING THAT’S ALMOST LIKE RECREATIONAL. IT’S LIKE WE WANT TO FEEL GOOD AND WE’RE DOING GOOD THINGS. I THINK THAT THE ENERGY AROUND VOTING, THE ENERGY AROUND POLITICS FEELS LIKE VERY NEGATIVE, IT FEELS ALMOST LIKE -- I HAVE TO MAKE THIS DECISION, AND I ON THE RIGHT SIDE OR THE WRONG SIDE? IT IS LIKE A JUDGING OF OTHER PEOPLE’S VALUES AS OPPOSED TO, I BELIEVE IN THIS, THIS IS SOMETHING I SUPPORT PERSONALLY, AND I’D LIKE TO SEE IT IN OUR GOVERNMENT AS WELL. SOLEDAD: SO LET’S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOLUTIONS. OBVIOUSLY YOU GUYS RESEARCH A LOT ON WHAT WORKS AND WHAT BREAKTHROUGH. WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND? ANDY: ONE INTERESTING THING IS HOW LITTLE REALLY GOOD RESEARCH THERE IS WHEN IT COMES TO MIDTERM ELECTIONS. BUT WE DO KNOW WHAT SOME OF THE BARRIERS ARE. AND THE BIGGEST BARRIER OFALL PEOPLE NOT VOTING IS PEOPL SAYING THEY JUST DON’T CARE. 50% OF PEOPLE WILL SAY THEY DON’T CARE. YOU CAN’T MAKE SOMEBODY CARE, BUT YOU CAN TRY TO MAKE THE ELECTION FEEL MORE RELEVANT AND EXCITING. SOLEDAD: HOW CAN PEOPLE SAY THEY DON’T CARE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME ANY THOUGHTFUL MILLENNIAL WILL TALK YOUR EAR OFF ABOUT, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO AFFORD A HOME, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO PAY OFF THEIR STUDENT LOANS -- THESE ARE CHALLENGING QUESTIONS. I’M ALWAYS SURPRISED THAT THE FLIPSIDE OF THAT IS, I DON’T CARE, BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY CARE A LOT. IVY: I THINK THAT THERE’S A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE IDEA OF POLITICS AND THEN LIKE YOUR DAY TO DAY LIFE. A LOT OF PEOPLE, WHEN THEY THINK OF POLITICS, THEY THINK OF BIG ELECTIONS LIKE THE PRESIDENTIAL. THEY’RE NOT THINKING ABOUT ALL OF THESE SMALLER ELECTIONS THAT WE HAVE YEAR ROUND ALL THE TIME THAT DECIDE THINGS ON A SUPER LOCAL LEVEL. LIKE ALL OF THESE LOCAL ELECTIONS REALLY DICTATE THE RULES IN OUR LIVES. IF YOU FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT YOU KNOW SOMETHING IN YOUR COMMUNITY OR SOMETHING THAT IMPACTS YOU AS A PERSON, THERE IS A WAY TO VOICE IT IN POLITICS. I JUST THINK THAT PEOPLE DON’T NECESSARILY UNDERSTAND THAT. SOLEDAD: IS THERE A TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTION? IS THERE A FASTER PATH, EASIER WAY, THAT WOULD INCREASE VOTING NUMBERS? ANDY: OUR VOTING SYSTEMS ARE VERY ARCHAIC. THEY ARE NOT UP TO THE TIMES. THAT IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THE BARRIERS. SOLEDAD: ARE YOU FEELING HOPEFUL THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TURN PEOPLE OUT? ANDY: WE ARE VERY HOPEFUL. WE’VE TRIPLED THE NUMBER OF VOTERS WE REGISTERED COMPARED TO THE LAST MIDTERM ELECTIONS. WE’VE SEEN MORE INTEREST IN EVERY ASPECT. SO ANECDOTALLY THERE’S NO QUESTION THERE’S HUGE INTEREST IN THIS ELECTION BUT UNTIL ELECTION DAY WE REALLY DON’T KNOW AND ANYONE WHO SAYS THEY KNOW IS JUST GUESSING. SOLEDAD: YES WE ARE. AS WE GET ON TV AND TALK ABOUT

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Will Young Voters Come Out in Force? This Group Says Yes!

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Updated: 10:26 AM EDT Nov 2, 2018

We’re just days away from the 2018 midterms and who controls Congress next session all depends on who comes out to vote. Historically, the younger the voter, the less likely they are to vote. HeadCount, a non-profit that teams up with musicians to help register young voters, says it will be different this November.

We’re just days away from the 2018 midterms and who controls Congress next session all depends on who comes out to vote. Historically, the younger the voter, the less likely they are to vote. HeadCount, a non-profit that teams up with musicians to help register young voters, says it will be different this November.